I ate my way through Shake Shack's menu and ranked every item from worst to best

Over the course of several weeks, I ate my way through almost all of Shake Shack's menu for under $120, not including certain items like floats, custards, and the Buffalo-flavored line of orders (which was introduced in January 2022).

The food came from three different New York locations, and most of it was new to me. I even came out of this taste test with a new favorite order.

So read on for my ranking of Shake Shack's menu, from worst to best.

Even though I should give this shake flavor one more try, my first impression was so unpleasant that I don't think that'll ever happen.

As stated in the name, this shake contains cornflakes and chocolate, but some cereals just don't belong in frozen desserts.

This may be the most controversial opinion in this ranking, but the plain fries from Shake Shack just didn't do it for me.

They were bland and had a mealy texture, which I've also noticed when I've tried the chain's fries before.

This plain hamburger was edible, but that was the only thing keeping it from the bottom spot.

More than anything else, it was boring, so I wasn't impressed enough to rank it higher.

These bites had a grainy, starchy taste and were a bit greasy, but thankfully, ShackSauce saved the day.

Still, the meat in these nuggets didn't compare to the delicious, crunchy chicken used in the sandwiches.

Shake Shack's take on this classic milkshake flavor was too sweet and artificial-tasting for my palate.

I would rather just eat something flavored with real strawberries.

This shake was — in a word — vanilla.

Nothing about it really set it apart, so it earned a lower spot on this ranking.

According to the website, Shake Shack uses Chicago-based Vienna beef in its hot dogs, but there still wasn't anything special about the order.

The split-style cut down the middle would make it great for holding toppings and condiments, but I just ate it as it came.

As far as plain hot dogs go, it was good, but I'm just not sure that it was worth the nearly $4 price tag.

It's hard to mess up a cheeseburger, so Shake Shack's option was unsurprisingly good.

That said, there are more unique and interesting menu items at the chain.

If you're craving a grilled-cheese sandwich, this option from Shake Shack would definitely scratch that itch.

However, it was still kind of boring.

The blended cookie bits in this shake were better than I remembered, but not enough to earn it a higher spot on this list.

This milkshake wasn't bad, but it also wasn't particularly great.

Both the chocolate and black-and-white shakes were fine, though I wish they tasted more distinct.

Since I could barely tell them apart, I deemed both of these options a tie.

The hot-honey line of menu items was a limited-time offer for the summer of 2021.

These fries used the same dry seasoning as the chain's hot-honey chicken sandwich, and it was definitely an improvement over the plain alternative.

I compulsively snacked on them like I would with salty potato chips.

Even though it was chewier than I had anticipated, this milkshake was very true to its name.

It actually tasted like a birthday cake, which earned it points in my book.

Classic flavors never go out of style, but it turns out that combining them is a smart move.

This combo was better than the vanilla and chocolate shakes on their own.

This limited-time offer was spicier than I had anticipated, though the sweet honey didn't balance that as much as I'd hoped.

With cheese, lettuce, and the hot-honey coating, it was a solid entry, but not as good as the other chicken sandwiches on the menu.

Firmly in the middle of the list is the 'Shroom burger, which uses a fried portobello mushroom instead of a beef patty.

This was the first mushroom burger I've ever had and it didn't turn me off to them forever, so that was enough to get a thumbs up from me.

The mushroom wasn't the star, but that was probably for the best.

I'm not sure why the avocado was there since it was not as detectable as the name implies.

But with crispy fried chicken and bacon, the sandwich itself was one of the best things on the menu.

This order is the burger equivalent of the last chicken sandwich, sporting bacon and cheese.

If you lower your expectations for the avocado part of it, this would be a very good burger, though the fruit wasn't particularly prominent on my order.

This is what you get when you stack a big mushroom cap on a beef patty.

It was surprisingly good, but also might be a bit much if you have a small or medium appetite. If I order it again, it'll be to share.

Even though the regular crinkle-cut fries at Shake Shack have never been able to compete with potatoes from other chains for me, the addition of cheese changed everything

The only thing that could've made these fries better was if the cheese was more evenly distributed at the bottom of the pile.

Just eat make sure to eat the fries before the cheese solidifies.

The fries were basically edible carriers for the bacon and cheese, but that was fine by me. The appetizing plate was better than the sum of its parts.

I wouldn't recommend this if you're also ordering one of the more intense burgers because these are satisfying on their own.

With buttermilk-herb mayo, pickles, and lettuce, the Chicken Shack was the best chicken option on the menu, but it ultimately couldn't out-flavor the beef burgers.

With a little more buttermilk-herb mayo, it would've been the perfect chicken sandwich.

Topped with ShakeSauce, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, this namesake burger was flavorful and just the right size.

I don't need a fortune teller to predict that there will be many ShackBurgers in my future.

I'm not sure why I had never ordered the SmokeShack before this review, but I'm very glad that was rectified.

With applewood-smoked bacon, cheese, cherry peppers, and ShackSauce, it became my favorite thing on Shake Shack's menu. I can't recommend it highly enough.